Many predicted that the PGA Championship was going to throw up some surprises, given the quality of the field on show at Valhalla and, during the very first round, that's exactly what happened...
Currently, there have been four 62s in men's Majors and, on Thursday, Xander Schauffele made history as he became the first player to shoot two of them. Following the feat, Justin Thomas, who has two PGA Championships to his name, was certainly praising of his fellow countryman, despite finishing seven shots back of Schauffele!
Carding a two-under 69 that featured five birdies and three bogeys, Thomas stated following his round: "I felt like I played better than I scored. It was fun. It was a lot of fun. Felt a lot of great things out there, a lot of positive encouragement. I mean, it doesn't help when you're not making many putts in the sense of you feel like you're not playing that well, but when you're playing with one of the easiest 9-unders you've ever seen, it makes you feel like you're shooting a million.
"I wasn't really paying attention much to leaderboards and whatnot, but when I looked up and saw where I was at, I felt a little bit better about how I was making my way around the course compared to the field. Yeah, I easily could have shot four or five shots better today, but I'm proud of how I played the back nine to hang in there."
It's no secret that Thomas has struggled with his golf game over the past 18 months. In 2023, he missed the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in his career, with the American firing rounds of 78 in the Masters, 81 in the US Open and 82 at The Open Championship.
However, in 2024, Thomas has re-found his form, securing three top-six finishes, including a tie for third at The American Express. Although he missed the cut at the Masters, following a horrendous finish, Thomas remains upbeat as he plays in his home city of Louisville, Kentucky.
"It's been a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be. It's weird, it's not that I didn't think it would be enjoyable, but I thought I would be way more nervous," admitted Thomas, who is looking for a third PGA Championship victory.
"I was nervous on the first tee today, but it's just fun. To be honest, I feel like I've never had this many people root for me before. So it's a pretty good feeling, to be perfectly honest. So it's just really enjoyable. I wish we had more tournaments in Louisville because I like this."
